Decolonising the Mind: Rejection of Colonial Narrative in 21st Century Atmanirar Bharat
Author:
Akash Chatterjee
Research Scholar
Department of Law
University of Calcutta
Kolkata,West Bengal,India
Email: akashkatha99@gmail.com
Abstract: Colonialism is not a problem of the books but a situation of the mind. The two-and-a-half centuries-long shrouded impact of British rule is more cognitive than manifested. It is not about the acts, rules, and famines, but the narrative that changed with British rule. The researcher puts his focus on the narration of colonial rhetoric, the impact of shaping modern laws with the colonial lingo and assistance, and the “metaphor” of domination that got imbibed into the larger administrative circle in the country. The country bears the brunt of this legacy – be it the issue of English, or the issue of civil services – we could not clearly overcome colonialism in the larger cognitive space. The researcher also places a key focus on the curriculum of the bygone era – educational systems inculcating the narrative of a “non-Indian” spirit and defeating the purpose of geographical homogeneity that caused India. This paper further tries to relate how the machineries of public administration have moulded the thought processes of the public offices – and how their imprints never quite changed even though India emerged as the largest democracy. We would definitely thank British Rule -not for shaping us but for deforming us- in mind and body. The socio-moral complex of colonial minds has impacted institutions of society alike. From penal laws to education curricula, it is pervasive. Hence it is not easy to reject this cognitive impact, but at least efforts have begun. With an empirical strategy, this exploration will cover aspects of decolonising laws, systems of governance, and ideological schooling. As India takes its maiden steps towards a “new resilience” of “atmanirbharta” it is important to declutter and identify colonial roots. Successive amendments, heritage restoration, and cultural emphasis are the various ways in which this arduous exercise is being carried out.
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